Alabama senator and former college football coach Tommy Tuberville believes Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in Tuesday’s mayoral election will turn New York City into an Islamic territory by 2029.
The Republican lawmaker, who’s hoping to become his state’s next governor, made his unlikely prediction on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast.
“We just saw what happened in New York. We lost New York. It will be completely Muslim in three or four years,” Tuberville said Friday. “That’s what they want.”
SEN. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R): The old rules don’t apply anymore. Sixty votes sounded great once, but that’s not the country we live in now.
Look at New York. It will be completely Muslim in 3-4 years, everything will be “free,” and they’ll spread to the rest of the country.… pic.twitter.com/yHWHRrUJ7G
— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) November 7, 2025
Mamdani became New York City’s first Muslim mayor by handily defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this week. He campaigned on a promise to try to make the city more affordable.
It appears Tuberville believes that plan will be inviting to Muslims, who are said to account for roughly 9% of the city’s population.
“They’re gonna have everything free there for them and they’re just going to spread throughout the country,” the 71-year-old conservative claimed.
Tuberville’s speculation about the future of New York City followed his claim that it may be time to change the Senate filibuster rule blamed for the federal government shutdown that entered its 36th day on Friday.
“We’re in a different country, Steve, this is a different time,” he told Bannon.
Tuberville entered the Senate in 2021. He became a household name in Alabama by coaching the Auburn University football team from 1999 to 2008.
U.S. News and World Report ranks Alabama the 43rd best state in the nation for primary education and the 42nd best for colleges. The state’s Muslim population is less than 1%, according to World Population Review.
